


Still Here

by rainydayadvocate



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Chocolate Box Exchange 2018, F/M, Third Wheels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-02-05
Packaged: 2019-03-13 23:01:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13580763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainydayadvocate/pseuds/rainydayadvocate
Summary: Our heroes are en route to the Endor moon, and Shuttle Tydirium is tense with anticipation. Leia decides to have a heart to heart with Han and help relieve their tension. Problem is, someone else is still in the room.





	Still Here

**Author's Note:**

  * For [outruntheavalanche](https://archiveofourown.org/users/outruntheavalanche/gifts).



The flight to Endor had been quiet. The tension of the entire ground team reverberated through shuttle Tydirium, leading to very little chatter and unsettling quiet. Mercifully, Chewie had gotten up to find something to eat in their supplies, and that had at least broken the silence of the crew. By the sounds of it, Kes Dameron had started a betting pool on how many meal packs Chewie could eat in a minute. The encouragement from the pool participants helped break some of the tension, and Han smiled at the sound of it. He almost felt like a general, relieved to see his men improve in morale.

A gentle hand squeezed his shoulder and a moment later Leia lowered into his lap. His hands came up around her comfortably, and she settled in against his shoulder. "You know, General, I stole this shuttle."

Han looked over at her, eyebrows raised. "When did you find time to do that?"

Leia shrugged and picked at some dust on the shoulder of his vest. "You were in carbonite for quite a while, and I continued fighting while we found a way to get you free. Came up with a crazy scheme and Mon approved it."

"Hmm," Han said in answer. He didn’t love the idea of her doing crazy schemes without him, but he wasn’t in the mood for an argument, either.

They'd had next to no alone time since his rescue. The Falcon on the way back from Tatooine would have been a great opportunity, had Lando and Chewie not been insistent on trying to beat him at sabacc while he was still not at his best (they couldn't). Even once they rejoined the Rebel fleet and they were on board Mon's ship, they should have been able to steal some time. The problem was everyone was so thrilled to see Han had survived the carbonite and to hear Leia had killed Jabba that they were bigger celebrities than normal. Combined with tactical meetings, there’d barely been enough time to sleep, let alone sneak some time alone. And now they were on a shuttle, packing tightly with a ground crew about to attempt an impossible mission.

Shards, he didn't care. Han reached over and locked his lips firmly on hers. She was ready for him, and she pressed back, being the first to open up the kiss and let a moan escape deep from her throat. He tugged her closer, letting his hand come around the back of her neck, his thumb rubbing gently along her hairline.

They held the kiss until Han needed to take a breath. He concentrated on the rise and fall of his chest for a minute, though Leia nipping at his neck was very distracting. "Why did you take this assignment, Han?" she asked. "I was part of the planning committee. I know what this squad is expected to be."

Han stayed silent for a moment but sighed. "A sacrifice."

"A sacrifice," she echoed in a whisper. "Why did you take the assignment?"

The real answer was—he didn't know. Madine had called Han into his office, seduced him with Corellian ale, and they were talking like old friends within ten minutes. When he asked, Han knew he needed to say yes. He knew he could lead the team, and he knew they could be successful. "Madine asked. I knew I could do it." He paused. "Why are you here? Or, better yet, why did Mon Mothma allow you to come?"

"Oh, we had words," Leia said, laughing against his neck. She didn't continue right away. Instead, she sucked and nibbled at his pulse, probably checking to make sure he was alive. When she pulled back, she kissed the mark she'd made on his neck, clearly pleased with her handiwork. "She did not want me on a suicide mission, but she already realized she couldn't stop me. So here I am."

Han smiled and kissed her again. "You don't actually think we're going to die, do you?"

"Well...we've escaped death so many times it's bound to catch up with us eventually."

"Do you think today is that day? Or do you think we'll get out?"

Leia paused, her gaze going distant, focusing on a point outside of the viewport, among the blurs of hyperspace. When she blinked and refocused on him, a hand moving up to brush a lock of hair from his face, she shook her head. "No. I don't know how I know that, but I do. We'll succeed, we'll survive, and we will have a new government to build when we're done."

"No pressure," Han said with a chuckle. Leia smiled and leaned up to kiss him again, this time urgent. One of her hands splayed across his chest underneath his vest while his hand looked desperately for her hip. Unfortunately, she'd already put on her camo gear, and the poncho was voluminous on her tiny frame. He tried to be smooth about working his hand underneath, but when after his third attempt he'd just found more poncho, Leia couldn't hold back the laugh against his lips. Han grumbled, got underneath it on his fourth attempt, and kissed her harder to stifle the laughter.

Leia shifted in his lap to straddle him, and that caused Han to groan deep in his throat. His hand trailed up and cupped her, and he was pleased that her groan was louder than his.

Han was debating just how he could get those tight pants off of her when someone cleared their throat directly behind them. "I'm not trying to break up the party, but I think it's only fair to remind you both that I'm still here."

Spinning his chair to face Luke, his hand still squeezing Leia underneath the poncho, Han raised an eyebrow at him. "One has to wonder _why_ you're still here."

Luke shrugged. "I assumed Leia was simply joining you for a cuddle. I wasn’t fully aware of how much your relationship had grown prior to Bespin."

"Ah, I see." Han met Leia's gaze. "You didn't tell him?"

"Well, I told him I kissed you."

"Which was a huge relief to everyone," Luke said, with a bit of a smile. "The sexual tension behind the Hoth arguments was getting particularly bad."

Han wasn't ready for this, not today. He needed some time alone, with Leia. And he didn't need Luke's commentary. He raised a finger and pointed it at Luke, shaking his head. "Look. I know you're all part of my command crew, and I'm glad we're all here, but—get out."

Luke nodded. "That's probably the best answer in this circumstance, isn't it?"

"Yes. I'll let you know when you can come back."

"Yeah, yeah." But Luke smiled as he got up, left the cockpit, and closed the door.

Han sighed and looked back at Leia. "Now. Where were we?"

"Right about here," she said as her lips closed on his. She deepened the kiss while her hands untucked his shirt. Han grinned and let her melt away his tension, his worry, and his fear. And oh, she was good at it.

**Author's Note:**

> I figured that "Han/Leia and third-wheel Luke" would be entertaining if our third-wheel Luke was completely forgotten. Hope you enjoyed this treat!


End file.
